{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41754"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41754","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"High rates of undiagnosed hypoalbuminaemia in orthopaedic trauma patients at a rural hospital","abstract":"Background: The deleterious effects of hypoalbuminaemia in the peri-operative period are well documented. We aimed to review serum albumin levels in a cohort of orthopaedic trauma patients to determine the prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia. Secondarily, we aimed to identify factors associated with an increased risk of hypoalbuminaemia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed of data collected prospectively at a regional hospital serving primarily a rural population in South Africa. Results Two hundred ninety-five patients were included in the study. Twenty-nine per cent of the cohort was found to have hypoalbuminaemia. Femur neck fractures (p < 0.001), intertrochanteric fractures (p = 0.004), tibial plateau fractures (p = 0.034) and polytrauma (p = 0.013) were associated with hypoalbuminaemia. The mean albumin level was lower in HIV-positive patients when compared to HIV-negative patients (35.7 g/L vs 37.5 g/L, p = 0.007). The presence of comorbidities other than HIV, like diabetes mellitus (p = 0.001), previous pulmonary tuberculosis (p = 0.034) and chronic renal failure (p = 0.007) was associated with hypoalbuminaemia. Conclusion: In this cohort of orthopaedic trauma patients from rural South Africa, we found a 29% prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia at the time of presentation. High-risk subgroups include patients with pre-existing comorbidities and increased age, as well as patients presenting with polytrauma, femoral neck, intertrochanteric femur or tibial plateau fractures.","abstract_html":"Background: The deleterious effects of hypoalbuminaemia in the peri-operative period are well documented. We aimed to review serum albumin levels in a cohort of orthopaedic trauma patients to determine the prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia. Secondarily, we aimed to identify factors associated with an increased risk of hypoalbuminaemia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed of data collected prospectively at a regional hospital serving primarily a rural population in South Africa. Results Two hundred ninety-five patients were included in the study. Twenty-nine per cent of the cohort was found to have hypoalbuminaemia. Femur neck fractures (p &lt; 0.001), intertrochanteric fractures (p = 0.004), tibial plateau fractures (p = 0.034) and polytrauma (p = 0.013) were associated with hypoalbuminaemia. The mean albumin level was lower in HIV-positive patients when compared to HIV-negative patients (35.7 g/L vs 37.5 g/L, p = 0.007). The presence of comorbidities other than HIV, like diabetes mellitus (p = 0.001), previous pulmonary tuberculosis (p = 0.034) and chronic renal failure (p = 0.007) was associated with hypoalbuminaemia. Conclusion: In this cohort of orthopaedic trauma patients from rural South Africa, we found a 29% prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia at the time of presentation. High-risk subgroups include patients with pre-existing comorbidities and increased age, as well as patients presenting with polytrauma, femoral neck, intertrochanteric femur or tibial plateau fractures.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Maimin, Dane Gary"],"institution":"Division of General Surgery","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Laubscher, Maritz"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025","date_published":"2025","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:57Z","subjects":["Trauma","Albumin","Hypoalbuminaemia","Rural","Global Surgery"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41754","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Laubscher, Maritz"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Maimin, Dane Gary"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-09-10T12:54:05Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-09-10T12:54:05Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Division of General Surgery"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis / Dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters","MMed"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Trauma","Albumin","Hypoalbuminaemia","Rural","Global Surgery"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41754"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Background: The deleterious effects of hypoalbuminaemia in the peri-operative period are well documented. We aimed to review serum albumin levels in a cohort of orthopaedic trauma patients to determine the prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia. Secondarily, we aimed to identify factors associated with an increased risk of hypoalbuminaemia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed of data collected prospectively at a regional hospital serving primarily a rural population in South Africa. Results Two hundred ninety-five patients were included in the study. Twenty-nine per cent of the cohort was found to have hypoalbuminaemia. Femur neck fractures (p < 0.001), intertrochanteric fractures (p = 0.004), tibial plateau fractures (p = 0.034) and polytrauma (p = 0.013) were associated with hypoalbuminaemia. The mean albumin level was lower in HIV-positive patients when compared to HIV-negative patients (35.7 g/L vs 37.5 g/L, p = 0.007). The presence of comorbidities other than HIV, like diabetes mellitus (p = 0.001), previous pulmonary tuberculosis (p = 0.034) and chronic renal failure (p = 0.007) was associated with hypoalbuminaemia. Conclusion: In this cohort of orthopaedic trauma patients from rural South Africa, we found a 29% prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia at the time of presentation. High-risk subgroups include patients with pre-existing comorbidities and increased age, as well as patients presenting with polytrauma, femoral neck, intertrochanteric femur or tibial plateau fractures."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["High rates of undiagnosed hypoalbuminaemia in orthopaedic trauma patients at a rural hospital"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Laubscher, Maritz"],"dc:creator":["Maimin, Dane Gary"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-09-10T12:54:05Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-09-10T12:54:05Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025"],"dc:description.abstract":["Background: The deleterious effects of hypoalbuminaemia in the peri-operative period are well documented. We aimed to review serum albumin levels in a cohort of orthopaedic trauma patients to determine the prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia. Secondarily, we aimed to identify factors associated with an increased risk of hypoalbuminaemia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed of data collected prospectively at a regional hospital serving primarily a rural population in South Africa. Results Two hundred ninety-five patients were included in the study. Twenty-nine per cent of the cohort was found to have hypoalbuminaemia. Femur neck fractures (p < 0.001), intertrochanteric fractures (p = 0.004), tibial plateau fractures (p = 0.034) and polytrauma (p = 0.013) were associated with hypoalbuminaemia. The mean albumin level was lower in HIV-positive patients when compared to HIV-negative patients (35.7 g/L vs 37.5 g/L, p = 0.007). The presence of comorbidities other than HIV, like diabetes mellitus (p = 0.001), previous pulmonary tuberculosis (p = 0.034) and chronic renal failure (p = 0.007) was associated with hypoalbuminaemia. Conclusion: In this cohort of orthopaedic trauma patients from rural South Africa, we found a 29% prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia at the time of presentation. High-risk subgroups include patients with pre-existing comorbidities and increased age, as well as patients presenting with polytrauma, femoral neck, intertrochanteric femur or tibial plateau fractures."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41754"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher.department":["Division of General Surgery"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:subject":["Trauma","Albumin","Hypoalbuminaemia","Rural","Global Surgery"],"dc:title":["High rates of undiagnosed hypoalbuminaemia in orthopaedic trauma patients at a rural hospital"],"dc:type":["Thesis / Dissertation"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters","MMed"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:57Z"}